An integrate methods to improve the high efficiency of embryo rescue breeding in seedless grapes

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.02.042

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2026, Vol. 25

Issue (2): 721-733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.02.042

Horticulture

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An integrate methods to improve the high efficiency of embryo rescue breeding in seedless grapes

Xi Chen^1*, Khalid Ayesha^1*, Xue Wen¹, Yanan Zhang¹, Mengru Dou¹, Kexuan Jia¹, Yong Wang², Yuling Li², Feng Sun², Guotian Liu^1#, Yan Xu^1#

¹State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

²Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Research and Development Center for Facility Agriculture and Specialty Agriculture, Shanshan 838200, China

Highlights

● Optimization of culture media for embryo development and germination in seedless grapes demonstrated that supplementation with zeatin and auxin significantly enhances both embryo development and germination rates.

● Refinement of the conversion medium for abnormal plantlets in embryo rescue, combined with establishment of a regeneration system for inducing adventitious buds from these plantlets, enabled the recovery of 35% of otherwise abnormal plantlets, thereby improving seedling formation efficiency in embryo rescue.

Abstract
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摘要

胚挽救技术在培育无核葡萄新品种的过程中扮演着至关重要的角色。为了提高无核葡萄胚挽救育种效率，本研究配置了22个杂交组合，研究不同亲本基因型、植物激素在胚发育和萌发培养基中对胚挽救效率的影响，并对畸形苗的挽救进行研究。结果表明：‘红宝石无核’、‘底莱特’、‘火州黑玉’、 ‘紫甜无核’和‘郑艳无核’ 适合作母本材料；‘紫甜无核’、‘沈农香丰’、‘红旗特早’和‘瑰宝’ 适合作父本材料；其中杂交组合‘红宝石无核×沈农香丰’ 和 ‘红宝石无核×紫甜无核’的胚挽救效率最高，胚发育率分别为 55.05% and 59.76%，并分别获得了 1348 株和 2235 株杂种后代；在MM3 + 0.2 mg・L⁻¹ IAA（吲哚 - 3 - 乙酸）胚发育培养基中添加 1.0 mg・L⁻¹ ZT（玉米素）时，‘红宝石无核×紫甜无核’胚的发育率最高达 64.73%；在胚萌发WPM培养基中，添加 0.2 mg・L⁻¹ ZT + 0.2 mg・L⁻¹ IAA 使杂交组合‘火州黑玉×阳光玫瑰’的萌发率达到最高，为 85.71%；同时，通过直接转化法和胚轴诱导不定芽再生途径，将3365株胚挽救畸形苗成功转化为正常苗1234株。最后成功移栽了4287株杂种植株。本研究为提高无核葡萄胚挽救育种效率提供了理论依据，为未来的无核葡萄育种计划提供了宝贵的材料。

Abstract

The embryo rescue technique plays an essential role in developing new seedless grape varieties. To enhance the efficiency of seedless grape embryo rescue breeding, this study evaluated 22 hybrid combinations and systematically investigated the effects of parental genotypes and plant hormones on embryo development and germination. Additionally, an in-depth analysis was conducted on the conversion of abnormal plantlets. Results indicate that ‘Ruby Seedless’, ‘Delight’, ‘Huozhouheiyu’, ‘Zitian Seedless’, and ‘Zhengyan Seedless’ are suitable as maternal parents, whereas ‘Zitian Seedless’, ‘Shennongxiangfeng’, ‘Hongqitezao’, and ‘Guibao’ perform optimally as paternal parents. Among these, the crosses ‘Ruby Seedless×Shennongxiangfeng’ and ‘Ruby Seedless×Zitian Seedless’ exhibited the highest embryo rescue efficiency, with embryo development rates of 55.05 and 59.76%, yielding 1,348 and 2,235 viable plantlets, respectively. When 1.0 mg L^–1 zeatin (ZT) was added to the MM3 medium supplemented with 0.2 mg L^–1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the embryo development rate of ‘Ruby Seedless×Zitian Seedless’ increased by 64.73%. In the WPM germination medium, supplementation with 0.2 mg L^–1 ZT and 0.2 mg L^–1 IAA resulted in the highest germination rate of 85.71% for the hybrid combination ‘Huozhouheiyu×Shine Muscat’. Furthermore, 3,365 abnormal plantlets were rescued via direct transformation and hypocotyl-induced adventitious bud regeneration, among which 1,234 were transformed into normal plantlets. Following hybridization, a total of 4,287 plants were successfully acclimatized and transplanted. This study provides theoretical insights to improve the efficiency of embryo rescue breeding in seedless grapes and offers valuable genetic resources for future breeding programs.

Keywords: seedless grape embryo rescue parental genotype plant hormones abnormal plantlets

Received: 07 November 2024 Accepted: 26 January 2025 Online: 20 February 2025

Fund:

This work was supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-29-yc-3).

About author: Xi Chen, E-mail: xichen@nwafu.edu.cn; Khalid Ayesha, E-mail: aleenakhalidk25@gmail.com; #Correspondence Yan Xu, E-mail: yan.xu@nwafu.edu.cn; Guotian Liu, E-mail: gtliu@nwafu.edu.cn *These authors contributed equally to this study.

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